Guardian Urges Britain to Solve Palestine Land Problem by Including Transjordania

July 22, 1931

LONDON (Jul. 21)

Definitely disapproving of the Palestine development scheme, details of which were made public yesterday, the Manchester Guardian today urges the British government to solve the Palestine land problem by including Transjordania within the boundaries of Palestinian land settlement. The Guardian is the first paper to criticize the land development scheme, other papers having this far maintained silence.

The Guardian points out that the British government has now stated the Palestine land problem in such a way “which cannot be answered in the spirit of the Mandate which lays on Great Britain the duty to encourage the close settlement of Jews on the land.” Palestine is a small country but the British government has made it smaller, the Guardian declares.

The Arabs can choose between the country east and west of the Jordan River and while eastern Palestine is crowded, Transjordania is empty, the Guardian declares. “The poor fellah might be happier on a new holding across the river than he was in his old village,” the Guardian says. “However, the British government refuses to consider this solution and keeps Transjordania a strictly independent area, although legally it forms part of the Mandated Palestine territory.”

The Guardian concludes by saying that “the development would have a better chance if the British government would change its mind on this important point.”